The world's first electronic cigarette was created about 13 years ago by a Chinese inventor. This product was a plastic dummy of an ordinary cigarette . Its main difference was that the “electronic” device did not produce tobacco smoke, but relatively harmless steam. Every user of this device should know how to properly clean an electronic cigarette.
Short story
Since that time, such gadgets have changed beyond recognition and have become hundreds of times more powerful. If previously they existed only to help a person quit smoking more comfortably, now almost every fifth person has such a device. Some, especially young people, have become addicted to vaping liquids of different flavors, so the popularity of electronic cigarettes is increasing exponentially. Many people are interested in how to care for an electronic cigarette. This is a simple procedure that does not take much time.
The first ES were disposable . They were relatively inexpensive, and their manufacturers claimed that this kind of device could replace up to 2 packs of cigarettes for a smoker. In fact, due to their low power, they lasted for a very short time, and the amount of steam and taste left much to be desired. Of course, there was no question of any cleaning: after use, the devices were immediately thrown into the trash. The batteries of such devices could not be recharged, and the taste of the liquid could not be changed. They began to be replaced by the first reusable ES.
Such devices were called e-cigarettes. They cost much more than their disposable counterparts, but they were practically the same in terms of the amount of vapor and taste. For such gadgets, cartomizers were used - removable caps filled with liquid with a certain taste and aroma. The cartridges could be refilled, but the process was labor-intensive and fluid often leaked. The battery of such devices could be recharged repeatedly, but it was impossible to hover while charging.
The evaporator was a twisted wire that was inserted into the cartridge and heated it. The charge held very little, and the composite cigarettes themselves quickly failed, so they had few admirers. Soon, eGo and Armango format devices (models ce4 and ce5) entered the market, which had an improved liquid reservoir and an evaporator. Soon they too became outdated, because they were replaced by various box mods, as well as mechanical mods, which are constantly being improved.
Consequences of improper care
Are electronic cigarettes just a fad or the way of smoking of the future? Be that as it may, today many smokers are switching to electronic devices. Pleasant draft, aromatic vapor that does not make those around you wince, no need to shake off the ashes - these and other advantages make them a profitable alternative to regular tobacco.
E-cigarettes are refillable devices, and there are both pros and cons to that. Among the disadvantages is the fact that the device requires careful handling, as well as timely cleaning. But why and what do you need to clean a seemingly simple device? Let's briefly consider the principle of operation of e-cigarettes. There is a heating element inside the device that causes the aromatic liquid to evaporate. Over time, this element becomes covered with soot. So, if you use your e-cigarette for a long time and never clean it, you may encounter the following problems:
- reduction in the volume of steam or its complete cessation;
- difficulty traction;
- the appearance of foreign tastes or a burnt taste.
Frequent causes of breakdowns
One of the most common causes of failure is considered to be improper care of the cigarette due to improper use, as well as the use of low-quality flavored liquids or counterfeits of well-known brands . The first piece of advice for novice vapers: buy only licensed liquids that consist of high-quality nicotine (for example, American hiliQ), vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. Some unfortunate manufacturers are trying to save on raw materials by making vaping mixtures from unrefined pharmaceutical glycerin for external use. Atmose, Nrgon, etc. are considered good liquids for vaping.
Why is cleaning necessary?
On average, the interval between ES cleanings is from 4 to 6 thousand puffs. Timely cleaning of parts is a very important process that will not only help maintain the vape in good condition, but also protect the health of the vaper (as you know, components from the vaping liquid can settle on the clearomizer and the device begins to “spit”). You cannot fill an electronic cigarette with water, as the device will produce little steam, and the evaporator will quickly burn out, and it will have to be changed much more often.
It is also very important to maintain your battery's charge level. Modern models have non-removable charging in the form of a micro-USB port, which involves simultaneous charging and operation of the device.
How to understand that the ES needs cleaning? There is a basic rule: after 5-8 pours of liquid into the tank, the cigarette needs to be cleaned. If you haven't been keeping track of the number of fills, then there is another way. It consists in the fact that the vape needs to be cleaned after you feel the first unpleasant notes of burning while taking a puff of steam.
Signs that the ES needs cleaning:
- The device began to discharge several times faster.
- When inhaled, the vapor becomes significantly less.
- When you inhale the steam, you will experience an unpleasant taste and burnt smell.
- The ES gets very hot.
- “Spitting” of hot liquid periodically occurs from the mouthpiece.
Some older cigarette models have replaceable evaporators that fail after a certain amount of time. It is very easy to work with such devices: the evaporator fails - replace it with a similar one and continue vaping. But this is completely unprofitable from an economic point of view, because replacement correctors fail quite often and are not cheap.
A good solution in this case is to purchase a so-called serviced base, which is reusable and can be partitioned. Of course, this will take more time and effort, but you can save a lot, and the tasteful pair will be several times larger.
Cleaning methods
An e-cigarette can be treated in several different ways. So, if one of the methods saves an almost broken device, then the second will help tidy up a slightly dirty ES. Let's take a closer look at how to clean the vaporizer of an electronic cigarette.
Blow and rinse
The steam generator must be disconnected from the battery, and then thoroughly blown around the mouthpiece. All excess liquid must be removed. The question arises, how to wash an electronic cigarette? After exposure to the mouthpiece, it is enough to rinse the parts with warm water, blow them out again, and only then dry them thoroughly.
When you have finally eliminated any sign of moisture, the cigarette can be reassembled and continued use. Some people wonder, is it possible to wash the vaporizer of an electronic cigarette? Yes, if you dry it dry, then nothing bad will happen from washing it!
Baths
This is an effective method that can be used quite often. However, it wastes a lot of your time. We disassemble the cigarette, removing the atomizer separately, immersing it in hot water for one hour, and then blowing it off, removing all the remaining liquid, then “soaking” it again for several hours and blowing it off. Afterwards, the parts are placed vertically and dried for at least one day.
Chemical treatment
If there is an accumulation of combustion products on the heating element, then water will not help much. Here you need to resort to an alcohol solution, which will quickly cope with this task. This method also wastes a lot of your time, because it involves completely disassembling the device into its components, followed by wiping each of them separately. After this process, you need to thoroughly rinse all the parts and let them dry again for about a day. Perhaps this is the most labor-intensive of all processes.
The lifespan of your e-cigarette can be extended by cleaning it from time to time. Moreover, for this, in most cases, the help of professionals is not needed at all!
How to properly clean parts
Do not forget that not only the liquid reservoir needs cleaning, but also the heating elements of the device. If you are the happy owner of an ES with a serviced evaporator, then immediately after purchase you should think about purchasing special parts for it (cotton wool, spirals or wire for self-winding). The process of replacing the evaporator is very simple, literally anyone can handle it. Special tools for replacing the spiral and cotton wool are usually included with the ES.
Attention! Under no circumstances should you boil ES spare parts, as this can seriously damage them and cause the device to no longer work as well as before or even fail.
You should also know how to rinse out old liquid from an electronic cigarette. The liquid reservoir can be washed with ordinary warm water. But there is one minor nuance: you must take into account the hardness of the water. It is best to wipe the tank with alcohol, as it:
- removes residual fat (which is glycerin);
- rids the tank of foreign odors from previous liquids;
- disinfects the ES.
Advice: it is best to clean the tank first with warm water, and then “fix” the result with alcohol. After this, you need to let the device dry.
Cleaning sequence:
- Be sure to disconnect the battery pack from the fluid reservoir so that neither water nor alcohol can accidentally get into it and damage the power contacts.
- Make sure that there is no liquid left in the tank, otherwise it may spill onto your clothes or hands in the process.
- Disconnect all components: mouthpiece (if removable), evaporator.
- Clean the mouthpiece . You can simply blow it out, freeing it from debris and dust stuck inside. However, such cleaning is not enough. It is best to rinse it with warm water, then wipe the inside with alcohol using a cotton swab.
- Clean the liquid reservoir of the device as described above and leave it to dry at room temperature. If the ES tank is made of glass rather than plastic, be very careful not to accidentally damage it.
- If necessary, replace the evaporator itself (or change the winding if you are the owner of a serviced base).
- In some cases, liquid may come into contact with the power contacts of the battery pack. Never wash it with water. Gently blot any remaining liquid with a clean napkin, then wipe it dry.
- To assemble an electronic cigarette, simply tightly connect all the parts of the electronic cigarette (mouthpiece, tank, vaporizer, battery pack) to each other.
- Pour in flavoring liquid. Wait a few minutes until the evaporator is saturated with it (this is done to prevent it from burning).
- Enjoy the vaping process.
Vape with clearomizer
Such a device is a structure consisting of a cartridge (tank) and an atomizer. Cleaning it is a little different, but nothing difficult about it.
The clearomizer must first be disconnected from the battery. This part of the device should be properly cleaned after disassembling it.
First, disconnect the block from the tank, then wipe the part with a dry cloth. Remaining liquid must be removed.
The next step is to disassemble the atomizer. You need to remove the silicone part and the top, unscrew the heating element and pull out the bottom part of the atomizer with tweezers.
Having taken out all the parts, wipe them with a napkin, rinse with water and dry. Then reassemble in reverse order.
Clearomizers are different and can also be understood differently, so don’t throw away the instructions. It describes in detail how to disassemble it to clean it.
